Shat the Movies: 80's & 90's Best Film Review

This week on Shat the Movies, we're hunting a serial killer with Kiss the Girls (1997), the thriller that introduced Morgan Freeman as detective and psychologist Alex Cross. Gene and Big D break down Freeman's effortless authority, Ashley Judd fighting back, the creepy Casanova mystery, and a plot packed with enough twists and suspicious dudes to keep everyone guessing. Does this late 90s serial killer thriller still deliver, or was Hannibal Lecter already casting too big a shadow? Tune in and find out.

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Kiss the Girls (1997) is a psychological thriller directed by Gary Fleder and stars Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd, Cary Elwes, and Tony Goldwyn. Based on James Patterson's novel, the film follows forensic psychologist Alex Cross as he searches for his kidnapped niece and becomes involved in the hunt for a serial kidnapper known as Casanova. His investigation leads him to Kate McTiernan, a woman who escaped captivity and may be the best chance of finding the other missing women. The film was the first big screen appearance of Alex Cross, with Freeman returning to the role in Along Came a Spider.

Cheech Marin steps out from Tommy Chong's shadow for his directorial debut, and Gene and Big D dig into whether this immigration comedy still holds up 40 years later.

The Shat Crew breaks down the film's boldest gamble — leaving huge chunks of dialogue untranslated — plus the sight gags that still kill, the sketches that don't, and why Rudy's romance with Dolores might be the real heart of the movie.

The conversation goes deeper than the jokes: workplace immigration raids in the '80s, the real cases (and real consequences) behind the comedy, and why Cheech says this movie now plays more like a documentary. Also covered: the good, the weird, and the completely bananas ending — featuring a Neil Diamond needle-drop and a border-storming finale nobody saw coming.

This week's commissioner, Fernando Z., waited almost two years for this review — and it was worth it. 

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This week on Shat the Movies, we're heading to the White House with Dave (1993), where an ordinary guy who looks exactly like the president suddenly finds himself running the country. Gene and Big D break down Kevin Kline's double duty, the surprisingly sweet romance with Sigourney Weaver, and a political fantasy built around the idea that maybe common sense could actually fix Washington. Is Dave still a charming political comedy, or does its optimism feel completely insane today? Tune in and find out.

Full movie info below:
Dave (1993) is a political comedy directed by Ivan Reitman and stars Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, Frank Langella, Kevin Dunn, Ving Rhames, and Ben Kingsley. Kline plays Dave Kovic, a presidential impersonator recruited to secretly stand in for the President of the United States after a medical emergency. What begins as a temporary deception becomes increasingly complicated when Dave starts taking the job seriously. The film earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay and became a warmhearted alternative to the darker political thrillers of the era.

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This week on Shat the Movies, we're going back to school with Mr. Holland's Opus (1995), the story of a musician who takes a teaching job while dreaming of something bigger. Gene and Big D break down Richard Dreyfuss' decades in the classroom, the students he inspires, the family he sometimes neglects, and whether Mr. Holland is actually the inspirational teacher we remember him being. Is this a moving tribute to teachers, or does nostalgia deserve most of the credit? Tune in and find out.

Full movie info below
Mr. Holland's Opus (1995) is a drama directed by Stephen Herek and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Glenne Headly, Olympia Dukakis, William H. Macy, and Jay Thomas. The film follows composer Glenn Holland over three decades as a temporary teaching job gradually becomes his life's work. Richard Dreyfuss received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his performance, and the film became a popular 1990s story about teaching, family, sacrifice, and the different ways a person can leave a legacy.

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This week, Gene and Big D review The Power of One (1992), the historical drama directed by John G. Avildsen (Rocky) and starring Stephen Dorff, Morgan Freeman, John Gielgud, and a very young, very hateable Daniel Craig — in his feature film debut.

Set in apartheid-era South Africa, the film follows Peter "PK" Keith, an Anglo boy navigating boarding school brutality, a German expat mentor, a prison boxing coach, and the weight of becoming a symbol for an oppressed people. It's ambitious, it's beautiful, and it completely bombed at the box office.

This episode, the guys debate:

• Whether PK is the hero — or actually the most dangerous man in South Africa
• Why the film's Black characters are almost impossibly patient with the white kid saving them
• The most disturbing scene in any PG-13 movie (and it's not the violence)
• Stephen Dorff: criminally underrated, or just lucky here?
• What PK should have done instead of turning down Oxford?

Plus: Dick fosters five-week-old kittens named Band Camp and Space Camp. Gene drunkenly watched the FIFA World Cup final before recording. Rob's commissioner letter about his late mum brings the whole episode to a halt.

This commission comes courtesy of Rob H. (UK), part of his upcoming block of commissions. Rob's letter — including his childhood trip to Zimbabwe, his memories of Victoria Falls, and a Zulu phrase he made Gene Google live on mic — is one of the best we've received in 500 episodes.

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